Brammo Electric Motorcycles

Lightning Electric Motorcycles are billed as electric superbikes. The Lightning claims to be the fastest production E-Cycle on the planet. A modified Lightning recently posted 218.637 mph at Bonneville. A stock prototype claims 166.388 mph.

The stock version is powered by 74 Hp/ 104 kW hub motors. The motors get power from a 345 Volt, 11 kWh LiFePo4 battery pack for maximum kick and safety. For comparison, this is close to half the storage capacity of the Nissan Leaf (24 kWh) battery pack. The range from this pack is stated at 100 miles fwy. And 150 miles combined city/fwy.

Performance does come at a price, and the bike will retail for somewhere near $38,000. The sales are likely to be somewhere around 50 units per year. A more affordable version may be in the works, in the $12,000 bracket.

For comparison, the competition for the Lightning e-cycle would be the Mission One electric motorcycle. The stock Mission One has hit 161 mph on the salt flats, 150 mph average, and also makes the claim of "The Fastest Street Legal Electric Motorcycle." The right to the fastest claim will cost the buyer close to $69,000 USD.

Gas powered bikes, cost and speed. The 1340cc 2012 Suzuki Hayabusa churns out 194 bhp. The big Suzuki can hit 60 MPH in 2.6 seconds, and top out at arounf 200 mph. The price for this performance is about $14,000.

Lightning Offroad

The Lightning company has also made inroads into electric dirtbikes. Two models are in the works. A prototype has been run at Pikes Peak and the indoor track.